Analyzing Forged Quality of Thin-Walled A-286 Superalloy Tube under Multi-Stage Cold Forging Processes

Cold forging is suitable for manufacturing thin-walled tubes; however, a poorly planned forging process results in serious quality problems. This paper aims to determine an appropriate cold forging process for thin-walled A286 superalloy tube with ideal forming quality. We analyzed the effects of the two forging processes with reverse forging sequences on forming defects and hardness distribution in the thin-walled tubes via finite element simulation. The methods of optical microscope, micro-hardness, scanning electron microscope, and electron-backscattered diffraction were used to validate the tube forming quality. The simulation results revealed that the Type-I process was an appropriate forging process for meeting the quality requirements. For the Type-I process, an underfilling defect was observed at the bottom of the rod section of the tube. The stress concentration in the head section was lower than that in the Type-II process, potentially reducing the probability of crack initiation. Compared to the rod section, the head section may exhibit higher hardness magnitudes due to the greater strain distribution. The experimental results confirmed the feasibility of the Type-I process. The increased hardness in the head section may be primarily attributed to the more intense plastic deformation applied to the material in this section by the Type-I process.